Lunar Eclipse- Full Moon in Cancer

Lunar Eclipse- Full Moon in Cancer

Eclipses disrupt the natural rhythms of life, bring up shadows, and ask us to see old situations with a new perspective.

Tomorrow at 11:13am PDT the Moon in Cancer at 20º00’ sits across from the Sun, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn. This lunar eclipse invites us to release our outdated structures and boundaries we have in place- especially the ones that have kept us isolated. We are asked to let go of the idea that our worth is contingent upon our material success. This is a time to acknowledge the restrictions we have placed on our selves and others- in particular the ones that cut us off from connection, compassion, and a sense of belonging.

Eclipses are a time to let go of the illusion of control, to embrace that everything is temporary, and to move into a space of deep acceptance.

Since July 2018, eclipses have been occurring on the axis of Cancer and Capricorn.

Horoscopes

These areas of life have undergone intense change over the last 1.5 years. Read for your rising sign if you know it.

Aries & Aries Rising

The 4th House of home, family and private life & the 10th House of career, public image and reputation.

Taurus & Taurus Rising

The 3rd House of short-distance travel, learning, and siblings & the 9th House of long-distance travel, higher education, and philosophy.

Gemini & Gemini Rising

The 2nd House of possessions, income, and personal resources & the 8th House of shared resources, inheritances and death.

Cancer & Cancer Rising

The 1st House of identity, appearance and vitality & the 7th House of partnerships, relationships and marriage.

Leo & Leo Rising

The 6th House of work, daily routines, and health & the 12th House of self-undoing, loss, and the unconscious.

Virgo & Virgo Rising

The 5th House of pleasure, children & creativity & the 11th House of groups, alliances and hopes.

Libra & Libra Rising

The 10th House of career, public image and reputation & the 4th House of home, family and private life.

Scorpio & Scorpio Rising

The 9th House of long-distance travel, higher education and philosophy & the 3rd House of short-distance travel, learning and siblings.

Sagittarius & Sagittarius Rising

The 8th House of shared resources, inheritances and death & the 2nd House of possessions, income, and personal resources.

Capricorn & Capricorn Rising

The 7th House of partnerships, relationships and marriage & the 1st House of identity, appearance and vitality.

Aquarius & Aquarius Rising

The 12th House of self-undoing, loss, and the unconscious & the 6th House of work, daily routines, and health.

Pisces & Pisces Rising

The 11th House of groups, alliances and hopes & the 5th House of pleasure, creativity, and pleasure.

…

If you have any natal planets between 20º and 22º of the cardinal signs: Aries, Libra, Cancer and Capricorn- including angles such as the degree of the ascendent or the Midheaven, this eclipse may feel especially potent.

…

Emotions may run high- stay grounded and try to be compassionate to yourself and others.

xx

Virgo Season

Virgo Season

The lion has roared. Leo season brought us out of eclipse madness and Mercury retrograde. Last Saturday, Mars led the pack of inner planets to move into Leo’s following sign: Virgo. Venus entered on Wednesday, the 21st, and the Sun entered this morning. Mercury is trailing behind but picking up speed post-retrograde and will move past the Sun, Venus and Mars in the upcoming weeks.

The Sun is at its fullest expression in Leo season, and Virgo season is the transition from the heat of summer into the balance of autumn. On the zodiac wheel, Virgo comes 6th- completing the first half of the circle. The first 6 signs can be understood as more personal energies- Aries- the self, Taurus- boundaries and survival, Gemini- early cognitive development, Cancer- the first experience of emotional attachment, Leo- creative self-expression, and finally Virgo- the energy of our health and well-being.

Virgo teaches us about perception- to see form in the world and to appreciate design, fit and function. Connected to the Earth element, Virgo is practical, useful, and productive. The exacting and focused quality of Virgo brings with it the ability to be extraordinarily efficient, detail-oriented, and accomplished.

Traditionally in astrology, the planetary rulers began at the signs of Cancer and Leo- the Moon ruling Cancer, and the Sun ruling Leo. Beginning and the Sun and moving outward, Mercury’s rulership was assigned to Gemini and Virgo, Venus to Taurus and Libra, Mars to Aries and Scorpio, Jupiter to Sagittarius and Pisces, and finally, Saturn to Capricorn and Aquarius.

The energy of Mercury is fast-paced- it picks up information quickly, communicates, connects and moves in many directions at once. Mercury’s rulership over Gemini is one of curiosity, learning, socializing, and connecting to others. Virgo however, is the applied energy of Mercury into physical form. Virgo is highly analytical, thorough, and useful.

The symbol of the virgin associated with Virgo is a symbol of purity- an innocence of the mind that has yet to be subjected to the full range of human experience, including pain and suffering. Virgo’s duality begins with this concept of innocence. In its detriment, Virgo holds so tightly to the idea of purity and perfection that it begins to isolate. Virgo becomes fixated on details, holds itself and everyone else to unattainable standards. The view of the big picture is lost, and any connection to spirit is severed.

By accepting imperfection and limitation, Virgo stays connected to spirit, and subjects itself to the full range of human emotions. When Virgo allows itself to grieve, to suffer, and to feel pain, it has access to the deepest secrets of spirituality. In its exalted state, Virgo is grounded, yet present and connected to the divine. The birth of spring, the life of summer, the descent into autumn, and the death of winter remind us that life is cyclical- and Virgo embodies this spiritual truth: nothing is permanent. Innocence cannot be protected and safeguarded forever.

Virgo and its opposite sign, Pisces, are both deeply spiritual and creative. Virgo brings spirit into form, and Pisces dissolves form. Virgo differentiates, and Pisces merges. One cannot exist without the other.

To embody the essence of Virgo is to embody the essence of presence: grounded, yet connected to spirit. Virgo is attuned to the moment, and reminds us that we must find a balance between work and rest. It is through presence, sacredness and devotional love that we can fully access the creativity we all have within.

The New Moon in Virgo is just one week away. Stay tuned.

xx

Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice

On the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, we celebrate the solstice. The sun moves into the sign of Cancer tomorrow morning on the west coast, marking the beginning of summer. Cancer is the sign of the home, of family and our sense of belonging. Cancer is intuitive, emphatic and protective. But its energy can also be overly cautious, moody and defensive. Just as a crab’s shell protects what is of most importance, Cancer can have a hard exterior.

Ruled by the moon, Cancer’s energy changes, shifts, and moves in a circuitous way. With Mercury and Mars already moving through the sign of the crab, our minds and our desires have already been infused with this energy.

The north node of the ecliptic is also in the sign of Cancer, so while the sun moves through Cancer, we will have two eclipses. Eclipses occur when the path of the Earth orbiting around the sun intersects with the moon’s orbit around the Earth. Symbolically, the north node is thought to be the direction that we are moving towards and striving for. On a collective level, this means we are in need of more connection, vulnerability and empathy.

The south node is in Cancer’s opposite sign: Capricorn. Capricorn is the sign of worldly ambitions, of rules, and of traditions. If Cancer is the energy we need when we are feeling hurt or broke, Capricorn is the energy that keeps us grounded and level. We need both: unconditional love as well as structure. Love cannot thrive and grow without healthy boundaries. Cancer and Capricorn both have the ability to build walls. Cancer brings emotional inclusivity, but also has the potential to shut down and have its guard up. Capricorn holds traditions and boundaries in place, but can be stoic and detached.

For the next four weeks, the Cancer-Capricorn axis will be highly activated. Mars moved into Cancer on May 15, and Mercury moved into Cancer on June 4. Saturn has been in Capricorn since December 2017, and Pluto has been there since 2008. Cancer season will bring unexpected shifts, encouraging us to move through layers of fear and uncertainty. Cancer season also holds the second of three Mercury retrogrades of 2019. On the surface June has appeared to have forward momentum, but July will bring a time of reflection and reprocessing.

This is not a time to fear or to isolate. It is important to remember that everything is energy: every thought, every emotion, everything we can see, and everything we cannot see. Summer is a time of abundance and manifestation. The sunlight allows us to access our inner radiance and shine from our hearts.

Celebrate the solstice by connecting to nature, and allowing your inner light to shine.

xx

Calling to the Moon

Calling to the Moon

The moon is in constant flux- from new to full and then back to new. The moon is mysterious, receptive and feminine. 

The sun moves into Cancer on June 21, beginning a new season. Before summer starts, we are already feeling the energy of the moon influencing us on a daily basis. Mars, the planet of action and assertion, moved into Cancer on May 15- where it will remain until the end of June. Mercury, the planet of the mind, moved into Cancer this past Tuesday. Cancer is the sign of home, family, and emotional bonds. Ruled by the Moon, Cancer is sensitive, nurturing, and intuitive.

When planets move into Cancer, they are responding to the sign that the moon is in. The moon changes signs every 2.5 days- creating a frequent shift in our minds, our communication, and the action we take. 

If you feel unsteady and ungrounded, pay attention to what sign the moon is in. The moon is in Leo today, where it will remain until tomorrow afternoon. Leo is the sign of creative expression, optimism, and generosity. As the moon moves through Leo notice if your mind is energized, and if your actions are taken from a heart-centered space.

Tomorrow afternoon through Monday, the moon will make its first quarter square to the sun in Gemini. First quarter moons mark the halfway point from new to full. The seeds planted on Monday’s new moon in Gemini are now beginning to externalize. It can feel restless and unsettling. With the sun and the moon both in Mercury ruled signs, we may feel especially anxious, stressed, and obsessed with the details. While the moon is in Virgo it’s a good time to be of service, to organize, and be practical. Watching your words is especially important- as Gemini and Virgo both tend to be critical. 

Monday evening through Wednesday the moon will be in Libra, the sign of harmony and balance. However, with Mercury and Mars in Cancer, and Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn, the Libra moon will be making hard aspects to these planets- raising emotional sensitivity and potentially bringing conflict.

Finally, Wednesday evening through the middle of the night on Friday, the moon will enter Scorpio, the sign of transformation, emotional attachments and power. Scorpio moons already have an intense quality to them, as the moon is in its fall in this sign. 

This next week will culminate at the Sagittarius Full Moon, on Monday, June 17. Stay tuned for the astrology of the second and final lunation of June.